Elgin — Ch. 6.37 Rental Residential Property § 6.37.030
Definitions
Operative Text
The following words, terms and phrases, when used in this chapter, shall have the meanings ascribed to them in this section, except where the context clearly indicates a different meaning: Authorized agent means a person, operator, firm, partnership, corporation, or other legal entity designated in writing by the property owner to the code official to manage a rental residential property, including the authority to receive notices or citations, schedule and/or attend inspections, is at least eighteen (18) years of age, and resides in and/or maintains an office in Kane County, Illinois, or otherwise located in the city or within ten (10) miles of the corporate limits of the city. Bed and breakfast inn means a single-family dwelling or portion thereof where rooms without cooking facilities for the occupancy of temporary guests are provided at a daily rate of compensation for a maximum of seven (7) consecutive days, and where meals are provided for compensation in contradistinction to a hotel, a motel, or a roominghouse which are separately defined within this chapter. Code official means the neighborhood services director or designee. Department means the division of code compliance within the department of neighborhood services. Dwelling means a building, or portion thereof, used exclusively for human habitation. Dwelling unit means one (1) or more rooms containing individualized cooking, sleeping and sanitary facilities which is designed, occupied or intended for use by one (1) household. Family means: A. One (1) or more persons each related to the other by blood or marriage, including adopted or foster children, plus domestic employees. The term "immediate family," for the purposes of this chapter, means spouse, mother, father, brother, sister, children, mother-in-law, father-in-law, grandparents, and grandchildren; or B. Persons participating in a lawfully established program for residential care, plus support staff. Hotel means a building in which lodging with accompanying bathrooms is provided and offered to temporary guests for compensation and in which ingress and egress to all rooms is provided through an interior lobby or office supervised by a person in charge at all hours. Maid service, linen laundering, telephone and secretarial or desk service are also provided for lodgers in contradistinction to a motel, a roominghouse or a bed and breakfast inn which are separately defined within this chapter. Motel means a building or group of buildings in which lodging rooms with accompanying bathrooms are provided and offered primarily to temporary guests for compensation in contradistinction to a hotel, a roominghouse or a bed and breakfast inn which are separately defined within this chapter. A motel also furnishes services such as maid service and linen laundering and provides secretarial and desk service. Multiple-family rental residential property means rental residential property with two (2) or more dwelling units. Rental residential property means dwellings, dwelling units, roominghouses, and rooming units let or intended to be let for rent or lease, including, but not limited to, properties that are listed and/or let for rent, lease, or occupancy on a short-term basis either independently or through online services (e.g., AirBnB, VRBO, etc.). Rooming unit means a room rented or leased as sleeping and living quarters, but without cooking facilities and with or without an individual bathroom. In a suite of rooms without cooking facilities, each room which provides sleeping facilities shall be counted as one (1) rooming unit for the purpose of this chapter. Roominghouse means a building containing rooming units in which meals may or may not be served in contradistinction to a hotel or motel or bed and breakfast inn which are separately defined within this chapter. Single-family rental residential property means rental residential property with one (1) dwelling unit. Tenant means an occupant of rental residential property. Words or phrases as used in this chapter and not herein defined shall be defined as provided by chapters 16.04 and 16.20 , as amended.
Section 6.37.030 of Elgin's Rental Residential Property chapter establishes the official definitions that govern how key terms are interpreted throughout Chapter 6.37. It distinguishes among various property types—such as dwelling units, rooming units, roominghouses, hotels, motels, and bed and breakfast inns—and clarifies that rental residential property includes short-term rental listings on platforms like AirBnB and VRBO. An 'authorized agent' under this section must be at least 18 years old, designated in writing, and located within Kane County or within ten miles of Elgin's corporate limits. Any term used in the chapter but not defined here defaults to the definitions found in chapters 16.04 and 16.20.
Plain English — not legal advice.
Property owners and managers operating under Chapter 6.37 should be familiar with the definitions in § 6.37.030, as they determine which regulatory requirements apply to a given property. For example, whether a property qualifies as a single-family or multiple-family rental residential property affects the scope of obligations under the chapter. When designating an authorized agent, compliant operators ensure that the agent is identified in writing to the code official, is at least 18 years old, and meets the geographic proximity requirement—residing or maintaining an office in Kane County or within ten miles of Elgin's corporate limits. Operators who list units on short-term rental platforms should note that such properties fall within the definition of 'rental residential property' under this section.
General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.
Under § 6.37.030, the term 'tenant' is defined as any occupant of rental residential property, which includes a broad range of housing arrangements—from standard dwelling units to rooming units and short-term rentals listed on platforms like AirBnB or VRBO. Tenants who are uncertain whether their housing arrangement falls under Chapter 6.37 can reference these definitions to understand whether the chapter's protections and requirements apply to them. Those with questions about how these definitions affect their rights may find it helpful to contact Elgin's Department of Neighborhood Services or consult a local tenant-rights organization for general guidance.
General guidance for tenants — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult a tenant-rights organization or attorney for advice on your case.
Generated November 6, 2026 — auto-generated, not yet human-reviewed. See /transparency for methodology.
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